Vehicle bumper



vJam. 1 7, 1939; Y. Bo-OHARI'N v 2,144,357'

VEHICLE BUMPER Filed Jan. 12, 1957 SV 27 36 32 4 27 VS 36 a Iv Aw y ATTORNEY.

l INVENTOR. LEO Y ooHAR/N Patented `Ian. 17, 1939 cierran STATE:sL

PATENT OFFICE of one-fourth to- Leon Scherbakoif,` one-fourth to" Dan Lcskovsky, and one-fourth to George D.` Collins Application JanuaryIZ, 1937, Serial' No.- 120,145

1y Claim."

invention relates* tovehicle bumpers as used`4 oir automobiles' for absorbing shocks yand for preventing injury to the vehicle.

'Ilfi'e objects of the invention are to provide a vehicle bumper' adapted to more efficiently absorb.

the shocks from collisionk with objects than. heretofore, and whichI bumper is simple to make, strong', durable and easy to assemble and in which air is the principal medium for. absorbing theshocks. @ther objects'and'advantages will appear in the specica't'i'on and drawing annexed hereto.

I'n' theA drawing, Fig. 1 isl a plan View of my improvedL bumper, a partl or the vehicle chassis beingfsh'own, and part of the bumper broken away to show its construction,

Fig. 2vly is a sectional view' as seen along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. horizonta sectional View through a modified form of bumper'.

Fig, l is aV sectional' view as seen along the line 4?--4A ofl Fig. 3.

In detail, the' form.of invention illustrated in Figs. l, 2 comprises a horizontally extending bumper stripr I, preferably ofY relatively strong spring steel, which bumper strip is' secured to an elongated supporting' member 2Y spaced from and extending horizontally in substantially` opposedv relation to strip I', the member 2 extending across the` front end of the vehicle suchas an automobile, and. secured to the. front ends of the side frame members 3 of the automobile chassis by brackets.

In the form shown in Figs. 1', 2, the strip If isV disposediri. ahorizontal plane common to both strip I` and member and is connected to and supported in said plane from member 2 by three spaced connecting devices twoof which are respectively disposed directly in front of the front ends of the side frame members 3, and the third device being positioned centrally between the other two. Each of the two devices at opposite sides of the central device comprises a cylinder 5 secured to member 2 at one end and projecting outwardly toward strip I, and a smaller cylinder S secured to strip I at one end and projecting from said strip toward member 2, the outer end of cylinder 6 telescopically fitting within the outer end of cylinder 5.

The member 2 may be in the form of a casting with three bosses 'I projecting from the side thereof yfacing strip I, which bosses respectively are adapted to iit within the ends of the cylinders 5 that are adjacent thereto, the axially facing sides of the bosses, relative to the longitudinal axis of the cylinders, being concave. The cylinders 51V are ea'chl formed with an outwardly projecting ilange adjacent member 2, which ilange is formed with' bolt openings'toreceive stud bolts @projecting frommember' 2 for bolting the cylinder 5" to the4 member 2.

lta'chV of the smallerA diameterA cylinders 6 carriesV a plug lillt at the end thereof within the cylinder 5:, whicnplug is concave on its side facing theA concave'side of boss. l. A pin II threadedly extends` through the cylinder 6 and the portion offk plug I-Il'y that threadedly projects into the outer en'd of4 cylinder 5, the' outer end of pin I i slidably extending through a slot I2 in the. wall of` cylinder' 5l at' a p'oint adjacent the outer end of said cylinder. Between plug Ill and boss I areY a row of separate hollow rubber balls I3 of almost the same diameterl asl thei inside diameter of cylinder '.iv `TheA end balls' of the' row fit in the concave sides1 off boss' 'I and plug I respectively, and the balls are. proportioned to yeldably urge cylinder IL in aA direction outwardly of the outer end of cylinder 5 until the pin II firmly engages the outer closedl en'dof4v slot' |12;

A cap Il secured to the outer endof each of the cylinders I carriesal pair of spaced' outwardly projecting.' lugs I5: and the side of' strip I has a Y pairfof. similar lugs I6 projecting toward lugs I5.

Ashort connecting.' link Il is? pivotally secured at itsopposite endsbetween lugs i5 and lugs I6 by vertical` pivotsv I,8 I3 respectively.

The central connection is identical with. the

-two'(-zonnectionsabovedescriloed, with the exception of the connection:A between cylinder B and strip. I., hence. all similar parts are similarly num*- bered.

In the centrally disposed connection, I eliminate the link Il and lugs I6, and instead, a single lug I9 projects directly from strip I to between the lugs I5 of cap I4 and is connected therebetween by a single vertical pivot pin 20.

It will be seen from the foregoing, that the shock of any object striking the bumper strip I at any point along the side thereof facing outwardly relative to the chassis, will be absorbed by the balls I3 and the air confined in the balls, and none of the telescopically arranged cylinders 5, 6 will bind by reason of the object striking to one side or the other of the centrally disposed cylinders. The cylinder 5 confining the balls I3 will prevent any possibility of the b-alls bursting due to any unusual shock, and the resistance to movement of the bumper strip I toward member 2 and the chassis will progressively increase as the bumper strip moves toward member 2. 'Ihe balls I3, being separate from each other, are easily and quickly replaced, as may be desired. The bumper strip l, may of course, be of slightly channel form, if desired, with the open side of the channel facing member l0, should greater rigidity in said strip be desired. A

The form oi bumper shown in Figs. 3, 4 incorporates the idea of using the hollow balls and the compressible characteristic of air therein to absorb the shocks.

In this form of device I provide a bumper strip 25 spaced forwardly of the chassis of the automobile and extending across the front ends of the side frame members of the chassis. An elongated supporting member 26 is directly secured to the front ends of said side frame members by brackets 21 cast on said member 26, which member is disposed generally in opposed relation to strip 25.

The bumper strip is secured to and supported in spaced relation from supporting member 26 by three hollow rubber balls, one ball 28 being at each end of member and a large ball 29 being centrally disposed'along Vthe member 26 and strip 25 between balls 28. The balls 28, 29 formed with relatively heavy walls incorporating fabric or cord reinforcing therein and each ball may be provided with a valve 30 for admission of -air under compression to within the balls to vary the resiliency of the balls as may be desired.

A detailed description of the means connecting the central ball 29 between strip 25 and member Y 26 will apply equally to the means connecting the end balls 28 in position, the numerals identifying the latter means being provided to distinguish. Y

Ball 29V is formedV on two opposite sides with projections 3l, 32 each beinginrthe shape of a frustrum of a pyramid having a rectangular base with'the smaller end connecting with the ball Y and the base outermost. 'I'he bumper 'strip 25 is formed on its inner side, or the side facing member 26, with a recess havingV three inner sides 33 formed to closely fit three of the lateral sides of the projection V3l on one side of the ball and a clamp 34 formed to t against the fourth side Yof the projection is removablyV anda clamp 31 is secured against the fourth side by a bolt 38.

As above stated the balls 28 which are smaller than ball 29, are similarly securedin place, the projections, sidesof the recesses and bolts being similarly numbered, except that they are primed.

In some instances, I have substituted the central telescopic connecting cylinders and balls therein of Fig. 1 for the central ball 29 of Fig. 2, such substitution being obvious.

AWith the above constructionit will be seen that a certain longitudinal Vmovement of bumper strip 25 is permitted without sacricing the shock absorbing qualities of the balls, and without permanently distorting the relationship between the member 26 and strip 25. Also the resiliency of the balls may be regulated by the air pres- Y sure inthe balls.

The use of air in both of the forms overcomes the objectionsY to springs, or hydraulic type bumpers, since the air gives a greater range within which the shocks are absorbedrand is more sensitive to variations inthe force of the shock.

YReferring again toFigs. 1, 2, it is, of course, obvious that the balls I3 are of smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the cylinders 5 in order to permit stretching of the balls toward a generally flattened shape upon collapsing of the cylinders 5, 6; thus the balls will not be jammed in one end of cylinder 5, but will be free to recov- Vbumper strip to said frame comprising a plurality of cylindrically hollow members closed at one end andsecured to'V said frame at said end,V a`

single row of hollow spherical balls of an eX- ternal diameter'equal to the internal diameter of said cylindrically hollow member disposed in eachjmember, piston-like plungers fitted into the other ends of said members to conne the respective rows,V of balls therewithim'pivotal connections between saidY stripand said plungers, one of said pivotal connections including a single pivot only, and at least one of the remaining pivotal connections including Ya link pivotally connected to the `strip at one of its ends and pivotallyrconnected to the plunger at its otherv end.

LEO Y. BOOHARIN. 

